Gaming devices currently exist with bonus rounds in which a player has one or more opportunities to choose masked bonus awards from a pattern of masked awards displayed to the player. When the player chooses a masked award from the pattern, the game removes the mask and either awards the player with a bonus value or terminates the bonus round with a bonus terminator. The outcome depends upon whether the player selects an award or a terminator.
In the above game, the controller of the gaming device randomly places a predetermined number of masked awards and terminators in the pattern at the beginning of the bonus round and maintains the positioning until the bonus round terminates. When the player selects a masked award, the player receives the value of the award, and the game typically displays a message that the player may continue and enables the player to select another masked award. The player then selects another masked award, and the process continues until the player selects a masked terminator. U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,255 B1, which issued on Feb. 20, 2001, and which is assigned on its face to WMS Gaming Inc., discloses a bonus game of this type.
Gaming machines also currently exist with bonus rounds in which the game selects or determines the player's award. PCT application PCT/AU97/00121 entitled, Slot Machine Game with Roaming Wild Card, having a publication date of Sep. 4, 1997, discloses an example. In this game, a slot machine having a video display contains a plurality of rotatable reels with game symbols. When the player receives a triggering symbol or combination, the game produces a bonus symbol. The bonus symbol appears at each game symbol to temporarily change the game symbol to a bonus symbol. If the change results in a winning combination, the player receives an award.
In the first known game, the “go-until” or “do-until” bonus can end quite quickly if the player selects a bonus terminator early in the bonus round. The player selects masked symbols until selecting the bonus terminator, which is immediately displayed. The player's involvement in the bonus round is thus limited. The player has no opportunity to undo or redo an undesired pick. The player has no opportunity to optimize or maximize the bonus round award. In the second known game, the game completely determines the bonus round award, and the player has no effect on the outcome.
Another well known game provides a player with a series of offers, where each offer includes a number of credits, coins, tokens or dollars. The player may accept or reject each offer prior to the final offer. The offers are randomly determined from a series of potential offers of differing values. If the player accepts an offer, the game provides the offer to the player. If the player rejects an offer, the gaming device provides another offer to the player, as long as the current offer is not the final offer. The player is automatically provided the final offer. This type of gaming device has achieved significant popularity in the gaming industry.
Gaming devices provide enjoyment and excitement to the player, in part, because they may ultimately lead to a monetary award. Gaming devices also provide enjoyment and excitement to the player because they are fun to play. Bonus games, in particular, provide gaming device manufacturers with the opportunity to add enjoyment and excitement to that which is already expected from a base game of the gaming device. Bonus games provide extra awards to the player and enable the player to play a game that is different than the base game.
A continuing need exists to provide gaming devices that issue awards in an exciting and enjoyable manner. In this respect, it is desirable to enable the player to have an impact on determining the player's award. It is also desirable to enable a player to optimize an award. It is further desirable to increase the level of player interaction. It is still further desirable to implement these features in an offer and acceptance type of game and as a primary or secondary game.